How will Qatar Biobank benefit Qatar’s communities?

As Qatar’s communities contribute personal and biological information about their health and lifestyle, Qatar Biobank will become a valuable national resource for Qatari health. Information and samples contributed by participants will help researchers understand how lifestyle, environment and genes affect health locally. This knowledge will help develop medical treatment and disease prevention for the health of Qatar’s children and grandchildren.

Till now most medical treatments have been developed through the study of Western populations and there has been a lack of large-scale research based on populations in Qatar and the region. As the most ambitious biobank in the region, Qatar Biobank will play a vital role in helping to prevent and improve treatment of diseases that affect our communities. Qatar Biobank will be a driving force in developing research into the risk-factors for obesity and related diseases, such as heart disease, diabetes and cancer, which are major health challenges for the Qatari population, where around 17 percent of our adult population suffers from type-2 diabetes.

The health information and samples collected by Qatar Biobank on the population of Qatar will allow researchers to better understand diseases that affect our communities and will lead to tailored healthcare and personalized medicines.

Participating

You are being invited to take part in Qatar Biobank, Qatar’s long-term medical health initiative for Qatar’s population. To help you decide whether to contribute, here is some information on Qatar Biobank and what taking part involves.

Research

Qatar Biobank will make it possible for scientists to conduct research to address some of the greatest health challenges facing Qatar and the region, including cardiovascular disease, obesity, diabetes, and cancer.